Victimisation

Who is a victim?

Those who have suffered harm, including mental, physical, or emotional suffering, economic losses, and impairment of their basic rights through acts or omissions that violate the law of the state.

What is the united nations inverse victimisation law?

Those with the least power, most deprived, and fewest material possessions are most likely to be victims of crime and also most likely to commit crimes.

What are the changes of the criminal justice system?

• Victims as Consumers of the Criminal Justice System

  • Victims are increasingly seen as consumers of the Criminal Justice System.

  • The Criminal Justice System is judged by its treatment of victims, often measured through victim surveys and victim support services.

• Since 2012, victims of antisocial behaviour and low-level crime have had input into out-of-court punishments by selecting from a list of options.

• There's a growing recognition that the Criminal Justice System needs victims to come forward and have confidence in the system to effectively punish criminals.

What is the 2002 national crime recording standard?

• Adopted by all police forces in England and Wales.

• Gave priority to the victims' recollection of the crime rather than the police's interpretation of the evidence.

What are traditional view of crime victims?

• Weak

• Innocent

• Blameless

• Likely Female

• Likely Elderly

What is the statistical view of crime victims?

• Likely Male

• Age 19-28

• Ethnic minority

• Note: There are variances when looking at different types of crime

What are patterns of victimisation?

• Class

• Age

• Gender

• Ethnicity

What are class patterns of victimisation?

• Working-class and underclass individuals are more likely to be victims of crime.

• Middle-class individuals are more likely to fear being a victim of crime.

• This disparity is partly due to the areas in which lower working-class individuals live.

What are age patterns of victimisation?

• Infants are most likely to be victims of murder.

• Teenagers are most likely to be victims of theft, violent crime, and sexual crimes.

• The elderly are most likely to be victims of abuse.

What are gender patterns of victimisation?

• Men are more likely to be victims of violent crime and theft. Approximately 70% of homicide victims are male.

• Women are more likely to be victims of sexual crimes, domestic violence, and trafficking.

What are ethnicity patterns of victimisation?

• Ethnic minorities are more at risk of being victims of crime, especially those of mixed ethnicity.

• The Home Office estimates approximately 106,000 hate crimes per year, which is about 300 per day.

What is the impact of victimisation according to Hoyle (2012)?

• Identifies 12 reactions to being a victim of crime.

• Victims may experience some or all of these emotions, which can negatively affect their lives.

• Reactions include sleeplessness, fear of re-victimisation, PTSD, shock, anxiety, and poor health.

What is the impact of victimisation according to Walklate (2004)?

• Discusses double victimisation, which can occur during the trial.

• The defence team may attempt to discredit the victim or blame the victim for their own victimisation.

What is the fear of crime?

• Many people who are victims of crime become much more fearful of being a victim again in the future.

• This can significantly impact their behaviour and lifestyle.

What are the explanations of victimology?

• Positivist victimology

• Critical victimology

What are theorists of positivist victimology?

• Tierney

• Hans Von Hentig

What did Tierney say?

• Victim Proneness: Identifies characteristics that make someone more likely to be a victim of crime.

• Victim Precipitation: Examines how victims have been actively involved in the crime or brought the crime upon themselves.

What did Hans Von Hentig say?

• Developed a typology of victims based on the degree to which victims contributed to causing the criminal act.

• Identified 12 characteristics of victims, including the young, female, immigrants, depressed, wanton, tormentor, blocked, exempted or fighting.

Who are the theorists for critical victimology?

• Mawby and Walklate

• Labelling

• Tombs and Whyte

What did Mawwby and Walklate say?

Focus on social structures as a cause of victimisation.

What is labelling?

Examines the denial or attachment of labels to victims.

What did Tombs and Whyte say?

Hierarchy of victimisation: Explores how safety crimes are sometimes dismissed as the result of clumsy workers.